Tang San had carefully mapped out his future plans. The first and most crucial step was awakening his Martial Soul - the fundamental source of power in this extraordinary world. After awakening, he would attend Nuoding Academy as a work-study student, being the only affordable option given his family's financial situation.
He made a mental note to avoid Yu Xiaogang at all costs - through his friendship with Su Yuntao since age three, Tang San had accessed the Spirit Hall's library in Nuoding City and studied Yu Xiaogang's published theories, finally understanding why the man was considered a joke in soul master circles.
While some parts of Yu Xiaogang's theories were accurate, they merely reiterated common knowledge that every soul master understood. The rest consisted of unproven personal conjectures that lacked any substantial evidence. Only his status as a member of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon family prevented others from openly mocking him to his face.
Tang San had objectively considered the potential benefits of becoming Yu Xiaogang's disciple - aside from the plot armor, the main advantages would be access to rare knowledge about soul beasts and some ancient texts not available to the public, along with financial support in the early stages. However, he believed in his own capabilities - the materials available at the Spirit Hall branch were sufficient for determining suitable soul rings, and he could support himself financially rather than relying on questionable mentorship.
After successfully avoiding the Yu Xiaogang pitfall, Tang San planned to spend his six years at Nuoding Academy building his future team.
He wasn't some noble gentleman - he wanted it all: fame, power, wealth, beauty, knowledge and truth.
Achieving these ambitions required allies; collaborative efforts would always yield better results than working alone.
Shrek Academy was absolutely out of the question - its "not causing trouble is mediocrity" philosophy bred exactly the kind of environment Tang San wanted to avoid.
The original Tang San from the martial arts world had been trained as an assassin, taught to strike from shadows and avoid direct confrontation, yet the Shrek environment had corrupted those principles and fostered arrogance instead.
After graduating from Nuoding Academy, Tang San considered his options for advanced study. Any reputable academy that would allow him to compete in the Continental Advanced Academy Soul Dueling Tournament would serve his purposes well. His identity as Tang Hao's son presented complications, but as long as he handled the rabbit situation carefully, Tang Hao shouldn't cause problems at the last moment.
The four affiliated families of the former Haotian Sect could potentially be useful allies, though utilizing them would require abandoning any association with the Haotian Sect identity - a trade Tang San was willing to make, as he had no particular attachment to ancestral traditions.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect presented another possibility, though Ning Fengzhi's political acumen far surpassed anything a modern person like himself could match. Direct scheming would be pointless - better to demonstrate his talents and build genuine connections when he had sufficient strength.
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family's Thunder Academy was another option, with potential connections through Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan, but the risk of encountering Yu Xiaogang made it not worth considering.
With six years before needing to make a final decision about advanced studies, Tang San also contemplated future exploration opportunities. The Douluo Continent's vast size - comparable to Eurasia - meant there were still large areas unexplored by human soul masters.
However, some locations like the City of Slaughter were to be avoided despite the potential power gain - the corrupting influence wasn't worth the Slaughter God Domain, and he suspected the original's later cruelty stemmed from exposure to that environment.
Sea God Island remained an attractive destination though, if only for the chance at godhood and immortality.
These plans remained flexible depending on circumstances. If his Martial Soul awakening revealed low innate soul power, or if Tang Hao forced him to remain in the village indefinitely, he would focus on becoming a respected Martial Soul theory master instead.
Should war break out between the Spirit Hall and Heaven Dou Empire, he and Old Jack could retreat to the nearby woods - historical records showed Holy Spirit Village typically remained untouched by large-scale conflicts that mainly affected strategic locations.
Returning to the present moment, Tang San set aside the forging hammer and began practicing the Mysterious Heaven Skill. From his bed, Tang Hao watched with resigned tolerance, thinking to himself that meditation before awakening was pointless, but deciding to let the boy be.
Eventually, hunger drove the black-faced man from his midday rest.